Flooring



vIl() Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in flooring, the object being to provide an expansible joint between the sections of flooring whereby any expansion of the respective sections caused by the wood absorbing moisture will exert pressure downwardly `on the sections so as to form a tight joint between the sections.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction in which a V or substantially V-shaped groove can be formed between the respective sections whereby I am able to obtain a contact over a small area adjacent the upper face of the section and a small contact adjacent the lower faces of the section, which latter contact is so constructed that when the sections expand in respect to eachother a downward pressure will be exerted against the sections in orderto hold the sections firmly together to prevent the formation of cracks and to eliminate squeaks and the like. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ooring which is exceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one which can be prefinished at the factory and laid over a sub-floor or an old oor. Y

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the vnovel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through a pair of ooring sections showing a slightly modified form;

Figure 3 is a transverse section through a portion of two iiooring sections showing still another form;

Figure 4 is a transverse section through two sections of flooring showing still another form;

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the form shown in Figure 1 illustrating the nail hole; and

Figure 6 is a detail section showing the nail hole ready to receivel the nail.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure l, l and 2 indicate strips or blocks of flooring which are provided along one edge with V-shaped grooves 3 rounded at 4 with the junction of the face of the strip and cut away at 5 adjacent the lower Vface of the strip. The other edge of the strip is provided with a substantially tl-shaped tongue, the apex of which is cut away at 6 and rounded and the upper face of the F V-shaped tongue is cut away preferably on the arc of a circle as shown` at 7, the same being provided with an angled edge 8 at the junction of the face of the strip which contacts with the rounded portion 4 of the adjacent strip when said strips are assembled to form a substantially lV-shaped groove 9 between the adjacent strips. u

The lower face of the tongue is adapted to contact with the beveled face of the groove at 10, the two points of contact between the tongue and groove being at 10 and 11 so that any expansion between the adjacent strips of flooring when laid will exert a downward pressure on the adjacent strips.

These strips or blocks arepreferably prennished at the factory by giving the under surface a coating of waterl-proofing" material and the upper surface a coating of varnish or'wax.

The tongue is provided with a nail hole 12 through which a nail 13 is adapted to be driven into the sub-floor, not shown, for securing the section to the sub-floor and as the nail isdriven into position within the sub-floor it draws the `tongue downwardly so as to exert a pressure at 10 on the adjacent strip in order to draw the adjacenthorizontal faces of the finished strips together in a horizontal plane.

Any expansion between the adjacent strips or blocks due to the absorption of moisture by the strips, which causes the stripsto expand, will exert a pressure at 10 so as to prevent one strip rising above the other when the flooring is in position.

The flooring is preferably laid on a sub-floor, not shown, and secured by nails and can be laid `on a cement, such as mastic, in which event the cut away portion at 5 allows the mastic to creep up between the groove formed adjacent the lower faces of the strip when the strips are drawn together. This cut away portion also allows for expansion adjacent the lower faces of the strip and prevents the strips from riding or moving in respect to each other.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a flooring which is preferably formed of prenished strips or blocks, each strip having along one edge a substantially V-shaped groove and along the other edge a tongue which is cut away to form a clearance between the adjacent strips in order to allow for expansion and contraction, the shape of the tongue and groove being such that when the strips expand, they will exert a downward pressure in order to hold the horizontal finished faces of the strips in a perfect horizontal plane.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, the sections or blocks 15 and 16 are provided along one edge with a V-shaped groove 1'7 and along the other edge with a tongue 18, the upper edges of the tongues and grooves being rounded as shown at 19 and 20 to form a substantially V-shaped groove. contact at 21 and 22, thertwo inclined faces of the sections being so constructed that any expansion between the adjacent strips will exert a downward pressure on the strips 15 and as a clear- The sections when assembled ance is formed from the point 22 to the point 21, these strips can expand and when they do expand the downward pressure exerted by the inclined faces will hold and retain the finished faces of the adjacent strips in a perfect plane.:

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the strips or blocks 23 and 24 are provided along one of their edges with a substantially V-shaped" groove 25 and along their other edge with a substantially V-shaped tongue 26 which is provided with a groove 27 to receive a nail head.l

These sections have a contact between each other at the point 2S and the point 29 and as the contact at 28 between the sections are between the inclined faces, any expansion of the strips will exert a downward pressure in order to hold the horizontal finished faces of the strips in a perfect horizontal plane.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, the strips or blocks 30 and 31 are provided with V-shaped grooves 32 along one edge and substantially V-shaped tongue 33-along its opposite edge, the groove being rounded at the junction with the horizontal face as shown at 34 and the tongue being cut away as shown at 35. In this form the upper edge adjacent the horizontal face is formed vertically as shown at 36 so as to form a substantially V-shaped groove between the adjacent strips. These strips Contact with one another at points 37 and 38, the clearance being formed between the adjacent strips from' the points of contact 37 to the point 38 in order to `allow for expansion and as the point of contact between the adjacent strips at 38 are between inclined faces, when the strips expand a down` ward pressure will be exerted against the groove rof the strip so as to 1nold the faces of the strips in a horizontal plane.

In all of the embodiments of my invention as herein shown, a strip or block of flooring is used and' is formed with a groove along one edge and a tongue along the other edge, the iiooring being secured to the sub-floor by nails passing through the tongue which'. holds that edge of the strip or block securely to the sub-oor and as the adjacent strips or blocks contactwith one another adjacent the upper and lower faces only, a clearance is formed to allow for expansion and contraction and as these strips or blocks contact with one another adjacent their lower faces, any expansion between the adjacent sections will cause the edge of the strip of flooring adjacent the tongue to be drawn downwardly by the inclined faces riding upon one another. As the tongue edge of the strip is secured to the sub-floor by nails, this edge is held rmly and when the other edge of the strip or block expands, instead of riding upwardly, it is drawn downwardly so as to prevent the prenished faces of the strips of wood from being moved out of their proper position whereby I am able to main a iiooring practically level.

While in the drawing and specication I have shown and described an expansible joint especially adapted to be used for prefmished iiooring, I am aware that the same can be used for unnished ooring, wainscoting, partitions, door panels, etc., and therefore I do not wish to limit the use of my expansible joint to ooring alone as the same results can be obtained between two interlocking members at any time without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A flooring formed of a plurality of prenished flooring members, each member having along one edge a substantially Vshaped groove and along its opposite edge a V-shaped tongue cut away on its upper inclined surface to form a substantially perpendicular portion to contact with the edge of the inclined portion of the adjacent strip, said members being adapted to contact with one another only adjacent the upper and lower edges, the Contact between said members adjacent their lower edges being between inclined faces to exert a downward pressure on the grooved edge of said members.

' 2. A iiooring formed of a plurality of prennished nooringv members, each member being provided with a groove along one edge and a tongue along the other edge, the upper edges of said members being cut away to form a substantially V-shaped groove between said members, said members contacting with one another only adjacent their upper and lower edges the Contact between the upper edges of said members being between an inclined and a perpendicular surface to prevent the inclined surface from being moved upwardly, the contact between said members adjacent their lower edges being between inclined faces to exert a downward pressure on one of said members when said members expand.

A ooring formed of a plurality of ooring members, each member having a substantially V- shaped groove along one edge and a substantially V-shaped tongue along its other edge, the apex of which is cut away, the upper inclined face of the tongue being grooved, said members contacting with one another only adjacent their upper and lower edges to allow for expansion and contraction between said members the contact between said members adjacent their upper edges being between an inclined and a perpendicular surface, the Contact between said members adjacent their lower edges being between inclined faces to cause the tongue of one member to exert a downward pressure on the grooved edge of the adjacent member.

4. A ooring formed of a plurality of preiinishcd members interlocked together, the upper edges of said members being cut away to form a substantially V-shaped groove between the adjacent memberasaid members contacting with one another only adjacent their upper and lower edges the Contact between the upper edges of said members being between an inclined and a perpendicular face, the Contact between said members adjacent their lower edges being between inclined faces, one edge of each of said members being adapted to be secured by a nail, said nail carrying member being adapted to exert a downward pressure on the adjacent edge of the adjacent member when said members expand.

5. A flooring formed of a series of interlocking sections having a clearance between the interlocking portions of said sections to allow for expansion and contraction, the contacting portions of said members being constructed to` exert a downward pressure on said members when said sections expand, the contact between said members adjacent the upper edges being between an inclined and a perpendicular face and the contact between said members adjacent the lower edges being between inclined faces.

KENNETH E. CROOKS, 

